Summer garden damage costs millions

The main culprits are other people's kids, with 37 per cent complaining about over-excited infants reeking garden havoc.

The most common reported accidents are lawn damage (64 per cent), trampled borders (46 per cent) and broken furniture and windows (37 per cent), with family gatherings and barbecues cited as the events where the most damage occurs.

And it's not just our own property that suffers with one in 10 (8 per cent) admitting that garden parties have resulted in damage to their neighbours' homes and one in five (18 per cent) that their guests have been injured while making merry, suffering cuts and even broken limbs tumbling over garden furniture.

This year's bill already exceeds the average for each of the last three summers - £374 million - fuelled in part by our love affair with our gardens; Britons now spend an average of nine hours a week enjoying in them.

And with close to four in 10 (37 per cent) spending more than ever on fashionable garden fittings, the average UK garden now contains £314 worth of moveable items, which comes to a total of £12.2 billion worth of valuables in our gardens.

As Britain enjoys some of the hottest days on record, Direct Line is warning Britons to be ready for the costly effects of summer high jinks.

Andrew Lowe, Head of Home Insurance, Direct Line, comments:

"2005 may well become the hottest summer on record, and if this is the case, anyone lucky enough to have a garden will most likely be spending a good deal of time in it.

"The obvious 'knock-on effect' of us enjoying more time in our gardens will be to spend more money on them, which is why Direct Line is encouraging homeowners not to overlook their gardens when evaluating their home contents for insurance purposes."

With Direct Line's Home Contents policy, garden contents to the value of up to £1,000 are covered. The contents of a secured shed come under the general home contents limits on the policy.

For further information please telephone 0845 246 0355 or buy online at www.directline.com

-ends-

Simon Ziviani
Direct Line Press Office
Tel: 0845 878 2270
simon.ziviani@directline.com

Notes to editor

Research

The research was carried out online between 17th–20th June 2005. YouGov interviewed a total of 2,160 UK adults aged 18 and above. Results were weighted to be representative of the UK population.

Number of adults in the UK with a garden = 38,896,000, 7,779,200 (20 per cent) of those say that damage has been done to their garden at summer events. Average cost per respondent of repairs, maintenance to gardens so far this summer = £54.47. Damage per year = £423,733,024.
24 per cent blame destructive adult relatives and 25 per cent say that their own friends are responsible.
Respondents were asked which of the following events have resulted in damage being done to your garden: barbecues (nine per cent); family gatherings (nine per cent); children's parties (four per cent); children's play days (seven per cent); annual summer party (two per cent).
Number of adults whose garden has been damaged = 7,779,200. Average cost of repairs, maintenance to gardens over the last three summers = £48.08 per year. Average amount of damage per year = £374,023,936
On Sunday 19 June, Britain had its hottest June day since the summer of 1976, with a high of 33C (92F), while Sunday night was the second hottest ever recorded. The Independent - 20.06.05
Respondents were asked how much time they spend in the garden in a typical week in the summer. Average time spent was 523 minutes per week = 8.7 hours.
Respondents were asked how much all their moveable garden contents are worth, average = £314.
Number of adults in the UK with a garden = 38,896,000. Total value of UK garden contents = £12,213,344,000

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